1. In the beginning of the book, we learn that Lane writes magazine articles about places she’s never been and things she’s never done. What sense of her did you get from that bit of information? What else did you learn about Lane that seemed to strengthen those conclusions?
2. The sea has been used as a symbol for many things in literature. In your opinion, what do the sea and the tides symbolize in The Wishing Tide? Do they hold different meanings for different characters? If so, what?
3. Mental illness still carries a heavy stigma in our society. How does Mary use that stigma to her advantage? What do you feel this strategy says about her, and how did it affect your initial impression of her?
4. What do you feel there was about Mary that compelled Lane to overlook her quirks and appearance? Would you ever befriend a person like Mary? Why or why not?
5. Mother-daughter relationships are often complicated. Discuss the tension between Lane and Cynthia, and how their confrontation helped Lane gain insight into her past disappointments. What role, if any, did Mary play in their ultimate reconciliation? Have there been times in your life when an outsider has offered advice that has helped you see a situation in a new light?
6. As children, our physical and emotional environments play a large role in the way we perceive the world as adults. How have events in Michael’s past affected his ability to find happiness with another person? Do you agree that people who have never had positive role models in the areas of love and marriage are more likely to fail at love themselves?
7. One of the bonds Lane, Michael, and Mary share is that over the years they all suffered a life event that caused them to relinquish long-held dreams and to ultimately give up on the idea of happiness. Do you believe there are certain life traumas from which it is simply impossible to recover, or do you believe there is always a way back to happiness? Have you ever known someone struggling to heal from a traumatic event who simply couldn’t let go of his or her pain? What judgment, if any, did you place on this person’s failure to move on?
8. At the start of the book, all of the main characters have assumed false identities or roles as a way to insulate themselves from unpleasant past events. By the end of the book, how have Lane, Michael, and Mary come to terms with those false identities and committed to being truer to themselves? What pitfalls do you foresee as they each move forward?
9. Throughout the book, the themes of guilt and forgiveness play large roles in why each of the main characters finds it difficult to move forward with his or her life. Discuss the various ways each appears to have embraced the concept of forgiveness by the end of the book, and the role that self-forgiveness plays in each character’s emotional healing.
10. How does Michael’s learning the truth about his father provide him with clarity about the kind of life he’s been living and the need to do things differently? Do you believe it’s possible to change your lifelong beliefs and patterns based on lessons from the past?
11. Initially, Lane, Michael, and Mary appear to have little or nothing in common. However, as the story progresses, we see that they have much more in common than we are first led to believe. Discuss the things they actually have in common and how each acts as an emotional mirror for the others.
12. A major theme of The Wishing Tide is that it’s up to each of us to fight for the life we want, something each of the main characters stopped doing at various points in their lives. By the end of the book, did you get the sense that each has finally chosen to fight for the life he or she wants? If so, why? Do you agree with this premise?